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▪ Richard Murphy, who was a Wake high school principal for more than 20 years at Leesville, Sanderson and East Wake;

▪ Nancy Olson, who was credited with sparking a literacy renaissance in North Carolina through the founding of Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh;

▪ Orage Quarles III, former president and publisher of The News & Observer;

▪ Bob Rankin, a longtime Raleigh artist and art teacher.

Murphy and Olson will be honored posthumously.

The Hall of Fame honors outstanding educators, alumni and community leaders who through their lives have either deeply impacted the Wake County school system or, as an alumnus, dramatically added to the quality of life in this city, state or nation.

The WakeEd Partnership also announced that Bill McNeal, a former Wake teacher, principal and administrator who was superintendent from 2000 to 2006, will receive the Robert E. Bridges Lifetime Achievement Award.

Retired Wake County Superior Court Judge Howard Manning Jr. will receive the Vernon Malone Friend of Education Award. Manning has overseen the long-running Leandro education case since 1997, where even in retirement’s he’s continued to monitor state actions aimed at providing each child the opportunity for a “sound basic education” as ordered by the state Supreme Court.

The recipients will be honored Oct. 12 at the Stars of Education Event in Raleigh. Go to http://bit.ly/29iz9aW to buy tickets for the event.

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Parents campaign to urge lawmakers for K-3 class size flexibility

Combs Elementary School PTA volunteers talk with parents as they wait in carpool line Monday, Dec. 4, 2017 near the school. Volunteers were urging parents to ask state legislators to give school districts flexibility on the new K-3 class sizes going into effect in July. The smaller class sizes could cost school districts problems such as losing art and music classrooms and forcing classes to share rooms.

The WakeEd blog is devoted to discussing and answering questions about the major issues facing the Wake County school system. WakeEd is maintained by The News & Observer's Wake schools reporter, T. Keung Hui.